Veterans Affairs News and Research

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Yearlong birth control supply could be cost-effective, prevent undesired pregnancies

New research from the University of Pittsburgh and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shows that dispensing a year's supply of birth control pills up front would support women's reproductive autonomy while also being cost effective.

8 Jul 2019

Microvascular disease associated with increased risk of leg amputation

Microvascular disease is independently associated with a higher risk of leg amputation compared to people without the disease, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

8 Jul 2019

Combat veterans more likely to exhibit signs of depression, anxiety in later life

Military veterans exposed to combat were more likely to exhibit signs of depression and anxiety in later life than veterans who had not seen combat, a new study from Oregon State University shows.

3 Jul 2019

A short bout of exercise improves brain function, study reveals

Most people know that regular exercise is good for your health. New research shows it may make you smarter, too.

3 Jul 2019

Gene mutations may not always predict cardiomyopathy

More than 750,000 people in the United States have dilated cardiomyopathy, a potentially life-threatening condition in which the heart's main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, enlarges and grows increasingly weak.

2 Jul 2019

Broader monitoring of patients needed to reduce post-hospitalization UTIs

Broader monitoring of patients is needed to reduce the number of people who develop a urinary tract infection after being discharged from the hospital, new research by Oregon State University suggests.

26 Jun 2019

Veterans with PTSD twice as likely to die from suicide, accidental injury, and viral hepatitis

According to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, United States Veterans seeking treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder are at increased risk of death compared with the general population.

24 Jun 2019

Scaffold derived from pig's meniscus performs better in lab tests

About a million times a year, Americans with a torn meniscus in their knee undergo surgery in hopes of a repair. Certain tears can't be fixed or won't heal well, and many patients later suffer osteoarthritis from the injury.

20 Jun 2019

Study finds Veteran-Directed Care program to be effective

A new study led by Boston University School of Public Health and Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System researchers finds that a program that gives veterans flexible budgets for at-home caregivers is at least as effective as other veteran purchased-care services.

11 Jun 2019

FDA overlooked red flags in drugmaker’s testing of new depression medicine

Ketamine is a darling of combat medics and clubgoers, an anesthetic that can quiet your pain without suppressing breathing and a hallucinogenic that can get you high with little risk of a fatal overdose.

11 Jun 2019

Mini-biographies help clinicians connect with patients

Bob Hall was recovering from yet another surgery in March 2014 when a volunteer walked into his hospital room. It had been a rocky recovery since his lung transplant three months earlier at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wis.

10 Jun 2019

Study backs use of physician assistants, nurse practitioners for treating VA patients with diabetes

Veterans Affairs patients with diabetes have similar health outcomes regardless of whether their primary provider is a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, according to a Durham VA Health Care System study.

10 Jun 2019

Large national study of veterans highlights health disparities and areas of unmet needs

For the first time, a large national population of United States veterans used the same standardized tool that the general population uses for tracking health.

4 Jun 2019

Native Hawaiians have highest risk for pancreatic cancer, study shows

Native Hawaiians are at highest risk for pancreatic cancer, according to a USC study that provides a surprising look at disparities surrounding the deadly disease.

4 Jun 2019

Study links heartburn drugs to fatal cases of heart, kidney disease and gastrointestinal cancer

Extended use of popular drugs to treat heartburn, ulcers and acid reflux has been associated with an increased risk of premature death. However, little has been known about the specific causes of death attributed to the drugs.

30 May 2019

Endovascular aneurysm procedure shown to perform as well as open surgery

A minimally invasive procedure to repair abdominal aneurysms thought to be less effective than traditional open surgery has been shown to perform as well as the open repair and be as long-lasting.

30 May 2019

Researchers find link between high LDL cholesterol levels and early-onset Alzheimer's

Researchers with the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Emory University have found a link between high LDL cholesterol levels and early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

29 May 2019

Five new genetic risk loci associated with maximum habitual alcohol use identified

A genome-wide association study has identified five new genetic risk loci that can pass on risk for harmful alcohol use from parents to children, and confirmed one previously identified risk locus.

28 May 2019

Veterans with mental health conditions more likely to use cardiac rehabilitation services

Veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depression were more likely to use cardiac rehabilitation services after an episode of ischemic heart disease than those who didn't have PTSD or depression, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

22 May 2019

For civilians, finding a therapist skilled in PTSD treatments is a tough task

Lauren Walls has lived with panic attacks, nightmares and flashbacks for years. The 26-year-old San Antonio teacher sought help from a variety of mental health professionals — including spending five years and at least $20,000 with one therapist who used a Christian-faith-based approach, viewing her condition as part of a spiritual weakness that could be conquered — but her symptoms worsened. She hit a breaking point two years ago, when she contemplated suicide.